Tie back for curtains and drapes



Dec. 3l, 1929. J. H. BoYE 1,741,182

TIE-BACK FOR CURTAINS AND DRAPES Filed Aug. 5, 1928 n 12 g. A Jl lz 15( 16' l@ 4 17' 20 Patented Dec. 31, 1929 'r ori-'ICE JAMES I-I. BOYE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES H. BOYE MANUFACTUR- ING- COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A COR-IORATION OF ILLINOIS TIE BACK FOR CURTAINS AND DRAPES Application filed August 3, 1928. Serial No. 237,154.

rlhis invention relates to an accessory for curtains and side drapes commonly known as a tie-back, the purpose or function of which is to hold the gathered portions of a divided curtain or the side drapes at the sides ot the window traine. Cords or tapes, in the term or" loops attached to the side members ot the window trame, have long been used for this purpose, but with the advent of ornamental curtain rods and poles the cord or tape tie-back has been largely supplanted by metal tie-backs having a general U-shape or nook term, that are attached by one limb to the window frame with their closed ends projecting inwardly either horizontally or in a downwardly inclined direction, and the laterally gatheredportions of the curtain or drapes are then passed through and held separated by the tie-backs.

To obtain a graceful and artistic draped effect, the separated portions of the curtain or the side drapes are permitted to hang with their inner edges approximately vertical or slightly slanted outwardly from the curtain 5 rod or pole to a point slightly below the tie-backs, and they are then looped upwardly and gathered and passed through the tiebacks, the upper edges of the inner closed ends or" the tie-backs serving as a support for the looped port-ions. The free lower end portions ot the drapes depending from within the tie-backs being considerably longer and heavier than the downwardly dipped or draped portions between the tie-backs created by the upward looping, such downwardly dipped portions easily pull or straighten out and the draped effect disappears'. To remedy this. the housewife Jfrequently pins or stitches the two sides ot the loop together below the tie-back, thus preventing the depending draped portions from being drawn out through the tie-backs.

llie object ot the present invention is to provide a simple accessory on the tie-back 5 itself for pinching or clamping the upwardly looped portion of the curtain or drape engaged with the tie-back to the latter, so that the lower end portion hanging from the tieback cannot drop or be drawn downwardly through the latter, and the downwardly dipped or drapped portion, as originally formed when the curtain or drape is hung, will not become shortened or disappear.

My invention, and the manner in which its stated object or purpose is attained, will be readily understood by persons skilled in thev art from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying. drawing in which I have illustrated two simple and practical embodiments ot' the principle ot' the invention, and wherein- Fig. 1 is a front elevation, broken out be-I tween top and bottom, of a window, a curtain, and side drapes equipped with my improved tie-back;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section enlarged `on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to F ig. 2, showing a modiiication;

Fig. l is a view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, showing the clamping spring in drape release position.

ln the drawing is shown a conventional wind-ow .trame comprising a top trame inember 10, side 'frame member 11, and a bottom frame member 12. Suspended from a curtain rod 13 are the two halves 111 of a divided curtain; and similarly suspended from rods 15 are a pair oi side dra des 16.

The tie-back is a narrow U-shaped member consistino` as herein shown, of a flat metal strip 1? havn g a forwardly and rearwardly bent portion 18, together forming one limb and the ci-osed end of the U-shaped member, and an ornamental open-work or skeleton piece 19 attached to the closedfend yportion 18 and forming the other limb ot the U- shaped tie-back. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the rear limb 17 is 'formed with an offset at 17 to provide space between said limb and the window trame member 11 for the louter edge portion of the curtain or shade 14. The limb 17 is secured to the trame member l1 by attaching screws 20, usually in an inwardly and downwardly inclined position, as shown in Fig. 1.

The parts thus far described are or may be all as usual and well known in curtain and side-drape hangers and tie-backs.

Referring to Fig. 2, attached to the inner side of the rear limb 17 of the tie-back as by rivets 21 is a leaf spring 22 formed with a forwardly curved free end portion 22 that lies opposite the closed end portion 18 of the tie-back. In draping the side drape 16 on the tie-back, the lower portion of the drape is gathered widthwise and entered through the outer open ond of the tie-back, and the inner marginal portion of the drape is then looped upwardly, as shown at 16 to rest on the upper edge of the closed end 18 of the tie-back, and in the same operation the free end 22 of the spring 22 is drawn back andthe gathered portion of the loop entered behind the spring. On releasing the spring, the fabric is clamped and held in placeagainst sliding over the edge ofthe tie-back, so that the hang ing portion 16a of the drape opposite the inner end of the tie-back remainsin adjusted position.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I show a modification wherein the clamp spring 22a is pivoted at 23 on the limb l? of the tie-back, so that it can be swung upwardly, as shown in Fig. 4l, to permit the fabric to be neatly draped -over the upper edge of the tie-back, and then swung downwardly again to clamp the fabric in place, as shown in Fig. 3. The clamp spring' may be yieldably locked in working position by an indented lug 249 on the tail end of the spring engaging with a hole 25 in the arm 17.

From the foregoing it will be seen that by the provision of a simple drape clamping or pinching member mounted on the tie-back itself, I eliminate the nuisance of the deforma tion or disappearance of the draped effect produced by the tie-backs from wind, when the window is open, or from other causes, and I also obviate the necessity of pinning or stitching together the two sides of the loop beneath the tie-back, which in itself presents a somewhat unsightly appearance.

l claiml. A tieback for drapes and the like, comprising a U-shaped member adapted to be attached by one of its longitudinal limbs to a window frame with its transverse limb forming a support for an upwardly looped portion of the drap-e, and a spring clamp attached at one end to the inner side of one longitudinal limb of said U-shaped member and formed with a curved free end portion lying behind said transverse limb, said clamp adapted to pinch the drape against said transverse limb and the longitudinal limb to which said clamp is attached. l

2. A tie-back for drapes and the like, comprising a Ueshaped member adapted to be attached by one of .its longitudinal limbs to`v a window frame with its transverse limb form` inga support for an upwardly looped portion ofthe drape, and a. spring clamp pivoted at one'end to the inner side of the attached longitudinal limb of said U-shaped member and JAMES H. BOYE. 

